Toulouse, France-based hydrogen business jet developer Beyond Aero has appointed ex-Embraer aerospace engineer Luiz Oliveira as its chief engineer.
Oliveira is leading the design definition of Beyond Aero’s aircraft and since March has been specifying, developing and testing the company’s clean sheet aircraft design.
Beyond Aero’s eight-passenger business jet, the BYA-1 uses hydrogen gas fuel cell technology. The company said his expertise will help to ensure the aircraft meets all certification standards and production requirements.
Oliveira joins from Embraer, where his 44-year career saw him work in senior flight test engineering positions and then as an advanced design manager.
Having logged around 6000 flight test hours on different programs, Oliveira has contributed to the development and certification of aircraft including the E312 Tucano, AMX fighter, CBA123 pusher turboprop, and the E145 regional jet during his career.
He also played important roles in the establishment of Embraer’s Gavião Peixoto Flight Test site in Brazil and the successful flight test programs of the E170 and E190 jets.
Eloa Guillotin, co-founder and CEO at Beyond Aero said, “Luiz is an exceptional engineer with a proven track record in flight tests and the aero design of business jets. When we met, he expressed the need to design, certify and fly in an electric aircraft.
“Since then, working together for a few months has enhanced our confidence that he is the right person to make possible and certifiable our hydrogen-electric CS23 business aircraft.”
Oliveira said, “I am excited to join Beyond Aero’s team in the challenge of designing such innovative yet practical aircraft and to be a part of the future of aviation.”
Beyond Aero, which was founded in 2020 and is based at Toulouse-Francazal Airport in France, is developing the BYA-1 business jet to have a range of 1,500km (930 miles), and a cruise speed of 573 km/h (356mph).
According to the company it has signed letters of intent for 72 aircraft, with a value of US$580 million.
The BYA-1 will use two 500kW electric ducted fans and a half-moon-shaped air inlet at the rear to cool the powertrain. The design places the hydrogen fuel tanks in a fairing under the fuselage to avoid compromising space in the cabin.
Beyond Aero is using a low-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell in tandem with batteries to boost power during take-off and to act as a backup in the propulsion system. The company plans for the aircraft’s propulsion system to first use gaseous hydrogen and later be converted to pressurized liquid hydrogen.
Earlier this year Beyond Aero successfully flight tested a hydrogen propulsion system.
